In adjustable traverse rods, the inner rod is smaller than the outer rod to be telescopically receivable therein and, during opening and closing of the drapery, at least some of the drapery carriers move across the transition between the inner and outer rods. It is known, for example as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,878,526, 2,863,505 and 4,276,920, to form the inner and outer rods such that, when the rods are telescoped, the edges of the metal strips from which the inner and outer rods are formed, are disposed alongside each other and at substantially the same level to guide the drapery carriers. While this construction provides a relatively smooth transition for the drapery carriers as they move between the inner and outer rods, the drapery carriers are supported on the slit edges of the strips and this produces wear and drag on the drapery carriers.
It is known, for example as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,683,891, 3,314,100 and 3,344,463, that the provision of hemmed edges on the inner and outer telescoping rods would reduce wear and drag on the drapery carriers. However, the provision of hemmed edges markedly complicates the problem of providing a smooth transition for the drapery carriers as they move between the inner and outer rod sections. In these patents, the rods have a rearwardly opening slot and the track and drapery carrier arrangements disclosed in these patents are unsuitable for use with rods having a downwardly opening slot. Further, the track and drapery carrier arrangements disclosed in these patents could not be used in one-way draw installations since the drapery carriers that move along the track of the outer rod section could not move along the track on the inner rod section, and vice versa.
It is frequently necessary to support the traverse rod at one or more locations intermediate its ends and various arrangements have heretofore been proposed for attaching the intermediate bracket to the rod in a manner to minimize visibility of the intermediate bracket from the front of the rod. For example, in the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,920, the intermediate bracket extends across the top of the rod and has portions engaging ribs on the front and rear sides of the rod. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,344,463, the intermediate bracket has a nose portion that engages in a dovetail groove at the top of the rod and a latch portion that engages a rearwardly projecting flange on the rod. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,470,578, the inner and outer rods are formed with a dovetail section at the rear of the rod and the mounting bracket has portions that grip the dovetail portion on the rod to support the rod from the rear side thereof. While this arrangement effectively concealed the intermediate bracket from view from the front side of the rod, the rod in this patent has a rearwardly opening slot or trackway disposed below the dovetail portion and the weight of the draperies suspended from the drapery carriers can pull the lower portion of the track downwardly away from the upper dovetail portion of the rod.